


Find a Little Magic

by nickelkeep



Series: Runaway [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Accidental Bonding, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Dean Winchester Has a Crush on Castiel, EMT Sam Winchester, Eventual Happy Ending, First Meetings, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Injured Castiel (Supernatural), M/M, Major Character Injury, Multi, Non-Omegaverse, Nurse Dean Winchester, POV Alternating, Pack Dynamics, Pre-Castiel/Dean Winchester, Pre-Relationship, Werewolf Castiel (Supernatural), Whump, Witch Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:54:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24381634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickelkeep/pseuds/nickelkeep
Summary: Every witch capable of healing magic forms a bond with the person they heal. The bond allows the transfer of energy from a witch to their patient. With the extra power from the witch, the injury heals faster.Something like a fever or a headache? Two fingers at the temple, push small amounts of power through.A broken bone? Set it first, don't ever use your magic to set and heal.Loss of blood or extensive blunt force trauma? Do everything you can outside of healing first, then use your magic.Or the one time Dean uses his full power to save a life.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Gabriel/Meg Masters
Series: Runaway [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1760578
Comments: 17
Kudos: 257





	Find a Little Magic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PallasPerilous](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PallasPerilous/gifts).



> So. Week 47. And I'm going to warn you all now. I picked another prompt that's going to cover two to three fics. Don't hate me. Plz.
> 
> [Pallas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PallasPerilous), the amazing person she is, dropped off this doozy of a prompt that I couldn't not use:  
>  _Your scrubs really take a beating when you’re a nurse in the werewolf ward of a cryptid hospital. Dean just tells everybody he’s a veterinary assistant at a wildlife rehabilitation clinic, but Castiel knows the truth — because he’s a patient_
> 
> So I went with it. This is part one of the Runaway series.  
> ...  
> Also, I picked Pallas' prompt, as they were requested for my AMOK project. Their nominator requested to remain anonymous, but they wanted me to pass on the message that they were missed terribly on the PB server, and they're so glad you're back, Pallas.  
> ...  
> You can find me on [Tumblr](https://nickelkeep.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/nickelwrites).

Dean loved working the overnight shift. It was quiet, Dr. Vaugier let him use one of the monitors to watch Dr. Sexy, and honestly, he enjoyed the laid back nature of the job. He absolutely loved what he did for a living, as it was better than what his father had trained him for, but there wasn't much money in the business, and scrubs cost a lot.

"Dean?" Dr. Vaugier came around the corner, and he pulled his feet off of the chair next to him. "Dean, Sam just called. He and Benny are coming in."

"I take it you need me to set up a bed?" Dean pushed himself out of his chair and stretched up, letting out a soft moan as he loosened his limbs.

"Please. And you seriously need to move around more. Don't make me regret letting you have a TV on." She winked and opened the door into the supply room. "Four and Six are open. Your choice." 

Dean walked out from behind the desk and headed down the hall to room six. Despite it being further away from his desk, it was closer to where Sam and Benny would bring in their patient. It totally didn't have anything to do with the Doc's comment about him needing to move more.

As he slipped in the room, Dean flipped on the light switch and looked around. He had done a thorough wipe down of the unit when he started the shift. However, the bed still needed to be made up, and depending on the patient's state, he would need to prep for any possible damage to the room.

Dean laid out the sheets, wrapping them around the bed and leaving a pair of pillows on the side. He wasn't sure what form the patient was coming in, so it was always best to make the pillow optional.

A knock sounded on the door, and Dr. Vaugier walked in. "Almost done, Dean?"

"Yeah, Maddie." Dean pulled down a tray out of one of the cabinets, setting it down on a nearby cart. "Did Sam say what we're looking at?"

"Shifted Were, silver-laced buckshot. Sam's fairly certain the Hunter only clipped the wolf, but silver..." Dr. Vaugier, Madison, nodded solemnly. "We'll need to work fast."

A few minutes later, the sounds of the modified ambulance came into earshot, and Dean met the vehicle at the emergency entrance. "Sammy! Benny! Room Six. Let's go!" Dean clapped his hands and almost laughed at the bitchface his brother shot him.

"You know, you could come and help us, Cher," Benny replied as he opened the ambulance doors. "Get this guy inside faster."

"That's why I'm here. Maddie's getting her special gear since I hear we're dealing with silver." Dean walked up to the rear and took one side of the stretcher the Were was on. "How'd you even find out about this guy?"

"His brother was with him. He was able to shift back and call dispatch." Sam hopped out of the back of the ambulance. "The hunter was smart, stood downwind, had injured a deer to attract them." He grabbed the end of the stretcher and helped carry the stretcher. "I told him where to come, but he wanted to go warn the rest of their pack first."

"We have a new pack in town?" Dean stared down at the beautiful black wolf he was helping to carry. "Does Maddie know?"

"Not sure, Cher." Benny shook his head. "Could be a nomadic pack passing through."

The trio carried the litter into room six and carefully shifted the wolf onto the bed. Under the bright lights, Dean had, unfortunately, a better view of extensive damage on the wolf's rear flank. "Holy shit." He carefully ran his hand through the fur and pulled some silver out of the thick coat. "Fuck. Maddie can't work with this. This'll eat right through her gloves and then her skin." He dropped the buckshot into the tray he pulled down earlier. "Did you get this guy's name?"

"Uh... it's something strange." Sam ran his fingers through his hair. "Castle? Casteel? His brother was understandably frantic."

"Cas it is then." Dean grabbed a comb and started pulling it through the wolf's fur. "Sam, go warn Doc that I don't think she should be on this one. Benny, glove up for me?"

Benny nodded as Sam headed out of the room. "Cher, tell me. We gonna be able to save him?"

"You help me out, he'll be just fine." A loud commotion came from outside of the room, and Sam peeked his head in.

"His brother and a couple members of his pack showed up. Madison's going to speak with them, considering she's lead of her own pack, and I'm going to back her up since I helped bring him in. You two gonna be okay?" Sam looked back and forth between Dean and Benny.

"Yes, Sam. You go back up your girl. Benny and I got this." Dean noted the bright blush in his brother's cheeks as he slipped back out of the room. "One of these days he'll actually ask her."

"Doubtful. Wish he would, though. Boy pines after her like a dog whimpers for scraps." Benny gently patted the wolf's neck. "No offense, brotha."

"Don't think he heard you, Benny." Dean closed his eyes for a moment. The amount of fur and blood was making it difficult to find all of the buckshot, and time was of the essence. "Benny, bottom cabinet, closest to the wall, there should be some electric shears in there." He shook his head. "I hate to shave off his fur, but I think his life is more important at this point."

"Agreed, Cher." Benny quickly grabbed the shears, plugging them in before handing them over to Dean. "What you need me to do."

"Get your Vamp on." When Benny stared at him in confusion, Dean clarified. "I mean, be prepared to hold him down. While I know he's unconscious, there's a slight chance he'll wake up. I need you to hold him down, cause he's in too weak of a state to put under."

Benny nodded, and leaned over the wolf, carefully pinning him down to the bed. "You could have just said that first, you know."

"I know." Dean turned the shears on and waited for a moment to see if the wolf - Cas, he reminded himself - would wake up. When there was no movement, other than his chest going up and down in shallow breaths, Dean moved quickly to clear the fur off the injury.

"Dammit, Cher. That looks worse without all that fur." Benny commented, gently running his fingers through the wolf's scruff.

Dean ignored the fact that Benny was right, cursing the asshole that shot the gorgeous Were beneath him. "His breathing is becoming labored, Benny. Get him hooked up to oxygen?" Dean continued plucking out the buckshot he could find. "I may have to use my other skills for this."

"I'm surprised you're not using them already," Benny commented as he slipped the muzzle over the wolf's snout.

"You know I'm all about consent with my powers, Benny." Dean cursed as one of the silver balls slipped out of his grasp. "Fuck. He can hate me later." Dean placed his hand gently on Cas and started speaking an incantation aloud. He felt his power surge through his hand and into the wolf, and then Benny shuffling at his side, most likely to keep the wolf stable.

Dean felt each of the remaining pieces of buckshot push out from under the flesh and skin. His heart broke, as he realized this Hunter was most likely not out for the kill, but to maim and then capture. As the last ball came free and clinked onto the ground, Dean did a quick read of Cas, seeing how much got into his bloodstream.

"Dean?" Benny questioned. "He's startin' to bleed kinda heavy there."

Nodding, Dean refocused his energy, forcing the skin to mend back together. He stumbled backward and would have fallen if it weren't for Benny throwing his arm behind him and catching him. "That's all I can do right now."

"Cher, you've done enough." Benny guided Dean into a chair. "Stay here, I'm gonna go grab Sam, he can help you out. The blood..." He spun his finger around the room, gesturing. "It's getting to me."

"Go, Benny, you're fine. Sam can spare some of his reserves to catch anything I may have missed." Dean slunk down into the seat, removing the bloodied glove off his hand. He carded his fingers through his hair and watched Cas' breathing steady out while waiting for Sam to come back.

"Dean?" Sam stepped into the room and looked at Dean before looking at Cas on the table. "You did use your powers. I thought I felt that." Sam walked up to Dean and pressed two fingers against his older brother's temple before whispering a spell.

A cold surge ran through Dean. "Dude, don't worry about me. It's nothing that a day's worth of sleep can't replenish. Make sure I didn't miss anything on Cas there."

"Yeah, I'm allowed to worry about you too. The patient feels stable, _you're_ about to pass out." Sam sighed and turned to go check on the wolf. "Spoke with his older brother Gabriel, the one who called dispatch." Sam's magic flowed through the room as he did his own scan of Cas. "His pack was chased out of town a few states over when the town blamed them for a bunch of wendigo kills. Apparently, the victim's families hired a couple of hunters to track them down."

"Not..." Dean questioned, raising his eyebrow.

"They don't know who. And if it's him, he knows he can't come into limits." Sam's magic faded and turned to face his brother. "Looks like you got most of it. I still felt a few minuscule traces, but nothing lethal."

Dean nodded tiredly. "Let me clean up in here." He pointed down to the silver buckshot on the floor. "And then his brother and other pack members can come back and see him." Dean pushed himself to his feet and started working to make the room safe for the other weres.

A few minutes later, Dean collapsed back into the chair, before calling out to Madison. As she entered the room, she let out an audible sigh of relief. "Dean, thank you..." She looked down at him. "He smells like he's recovering."

"I didn't realize that it has a scent," Dean commented, tapping the side of his nose.

"It does, he's at rest and not stressed out." Madison crossed to Cas' bed and pulled back the blanket. "Sam and Benny said you used your magic. It looks good. Shame you don't use it more." She crossed back to the exit. "You getting up, or are you staying put?"

Dean waved Madison off and stayed put in the chair. If the pack really wanted him out of the room, he'd leave. But honestly, his limbs were starting to feel like jelly, and he'd probably need to be sent home early. Dean hadn't been kidding about possibly needing twenty-four hours of rest after that.

"Cassie!" A short, blonde man ran into the room, followed by a short brunette female and a statuesque redhead. "Dammit, Cassie."

Dean stayed quiet, not wanting to interfere when the redhead offered her hand. "I'm Anna. You must be Dean."

"That's me." He offered a tired smile and shook her hand. "My apologies for not standing up."

"None needed. Dr. Vaugier said you almost completely depleted your power saving Castiel, and I can feel it." Anna offered a small smile of her own. "We're grateful for your assistance."

"This is my fault. I should have told him to stay behind." The guy was grabbing on to Cas' scruff and crying into the jet black fur.

"Gabe, you know he would have fought you on that. Leader or not." The short brunette turned around and joined Anna. "Thank you, Dean. I'm Meg, and this is our pack leader, Gabriel. He and Castiel were out hunting when they were ambushed."

"You all are very welcome. Cas didn't deserve that, and I wanted to make sure he survived." Dean rubbed at his eye. "I know Maddie would have helped, but I'm sure you know why I wouldn't let her."

Gabriel finally turned around and acknowledged Dean. "She's a good soul. Not often you see a female pack leader with such kindness. They're usually cold, like Naomi." Dean made a mental note of the name as Gabriel continued. "She's offered us sanctuary in town if we want to stay."

"Sounds about right. You won't be the only pack in town. You'd be the fourth. We've got a nice little sanctuary going on here." Dean watched as Gabriel kept glancing back and forth between him and Cas. "We'll be here until seven when Dr. Fitzgerald and his wife take over for the day shift if you want to go get some rest."

"Gabe?" Anna questioned. "Do you want me to stay, and you can go get the pack gathered?"

The blond Were hung his head and let out a heavy sigh. "Please. While I trust Meg and you to handle the rest of the pack, I think they'll probably want me there."

"I promise that I'll be here to keep care over him for you, Gabriel." Dean patted the chair next to him, gesturing for Anna to sit. "Go, make sure your pack is okay. Give them some updates, let them know that Cas is going to be okay."

"Cas?" Gabriel raised his eyebrow.

"Sorry, I'm not 100% sure how to say his full name, and I like to know who I'm helping." Dean cringed, suddenly worried that he crossed a line.

Gabriel shook his head. "Nothing to be scared about, Dean. Just caught me by surprise. Already endearing yourself to our pack." He held out his hand to Meg. "Come with?"

"Of course." She waved to Anna and Dean before exiting the room behind Gabriel.

After a few moments of silence, Anna spoke up. "You know, you don't have to stay. You've done so much already, and his healing abilities are kicking in." Just as he had done earlier, Anna tapped the side of her nose. "I can smell how much power you put into healing him. I don't know how you're still going."

"Barely, and pure stubbornness." A knock at the door and Benny stuck his head in. "And if Benny has what I think he has, a crap ton of coffee."

"You got that right, Cher." Benny stepped in and handed a travel mug to Dean. "It's my brew, so you know it's the good stuff." He nodded politely at Anna before looking back at Dean. "I left the thermos at the desk if you need more, but Sam and I need to get going. Sounds like Amy's going into labor."

"Thank you, Benny. I'll swing by the maternity ward before heading home." Dean took a deep drink of his coffee, sighing contently as the hot liquid warmed him. 

Anna chuckled. "You sound like you've found your happy place."

"It will be when Cas wakes up." Dean winked at her before taking another drink.

...

Several hours later, and Cas still hadn't woken up. With his shift coming to an end, Dean was nervous. His thoughts were racing at a mile a minute. What if he had missed something, what if there was something more he could have done? He had moved to the desk to work on Cas' chart and paperwork, so Bess and Garth would have information to review when they came in. While he would still take the time to talk to them and pass off his charge, for some reason, he needed Cas to be taken care of. More than any of the other patients he had helped before.

"Dean-O!" Garth entered through the emergency bay with Bess next to him. "I hear we had something big happen overnight?"

"Were hit by buckshot. Intentional, it was an ambush with silver." Dean focused on the paperwork in front of him, making sure to get every detail down. "His older sister is in there right now. Their pack leader accepted sanctuary from Madison. She was going to talk to you about your pack, and then reach out to Kate and Michael about their pack."

"Shoot, there's plenty of room for another pack. I hear that they're on the run for something they didn't do. So why would we say no?" Garth wrapped his arm around Bess and gently squeezed her.

"And I'm sure Kate and Michael will be on board," Bess added, before leaning up and kissing Garth on his cheek. "Are you okay if I go check in on Amy real quick before taking over? I just want to see if there are any updates on her status."

Dean nodded and waved to Bess as he leaned back in his seat. Garth sat on the edge of the desk and rested his hand on his knee. "How are you doing, Dean? Really? You look like you've been going nonstop."

"Just tired, Garth."

"Right, and the fact that I can smell your magic all over this wing has nothing to do with that?" Garth leaned forward and took a deeper sniff. "Huh, you're anxious, aren't you?"

"Why would I–" Dean was interrupted by Anna sticking her head out into the hall.

"Dean! Castiel is shifting back to human form!"

Dean pushed himself out of his seat quickly, finding a sudden and much appreciated second wind. He entered room six to find a slightly shivering, presumably naked, human laying where a wolf had once been. "Garth, heating pad, please."

Despite being the doctor, and Dean being the nurse, Garth didn't hesitate and reached into one of the cabinets to grab an electric blanket. He unfolded it, handing a side to Dean, and draped it over Cas before plugging it in. "Let's get this turned on, and get him warmed back up, shall we?"

"Anna, this is Dr. Fitzgerald, the one I mentioned would be taking over this morning. He and I were just going over what happened last night."

"You're another Were." Anna tilted her head and smiled before looking at Dean. "You really weren't kidding, were you?"

"Nope." Dean shook his head as he found Cas' pulse. He took a moment to count - and maybe admire the man's hair and face - before continuing. "Just like I was telling you last night, this town has a little bit of everything. Werewolves, Vampires, Kitsune, Witches..." He winked. "Maybe if you guys stick around, you'll even get to meet the Phoenix who lives in town." 

Dean reached into a drawer on the medical cart, pulled out a stethoscope, and wiped it down before putting it in his ears. He placed the chestpiece against Cas' back and listened before nodding contently.

"He sound good, Dean?" Garth asked.

"Yeah, the shift didn't throw off any of the human vitals. He's going to be fine." Dean slowly and gingerly started to pull back the heated blanked and sheet off of Cas' thigh, and swallowed down a startled cry as he got to see the rest of Cas' human physique. "His regenerative powers helped a lot, but he may have a limp for a week or so." Dean pressed his fingers into Cas' thigh and frowned. "Yeah, there's still some muscle damage that needs to be repaired."

"But he's going to recover?" Anna asked, her voice slightly quivering.

"If Dean says that your brother is going to be fine, I believe that your brother is going to be just fine." Garth flashed a toothy smile that Dean learned was actually meant to be comforting, not intimidating. "I'm going to send Dean home so he can rest, though."

"Thank you, Dean." Anna wrapped her arms around Dean's neck and hugged him. "You've kept our brother with us."

Dean felt his cheek turn bright red. "You're welcome." He waited until Anna let go before heading back out to the desk. Bess was sitting in the chair he had vacated to go see Cas. "He shifted."

"Is he awake?" Bess smiled sweetly.

"Not yet." Dean pointed down at his notes. "Wanna add on for me?" Bess waved the pen before bringing it down to the chart. "The patient shifted back to human form while unconscious. The temperature dropped, as expected, an electric blanket has been applied to help the warm-up process. The patient remains unconscious, and after a check of the wound site, should make a full recovery within..." Dean hummed in thought. "Within two weeks."

"Overestimating again, Dean?" Bess looked up.

"There's some muscle damage that will take some time to repair, and while it's not extensive, he is a Were. You guys don't understand rest." Dean winked before tapping on the desk. "Hey Bess, give me a call if he wakes up before I get back in tonight?"

Bess looked up, her confusion apparent. "I mean, I can, but why? Considering it's a wound with silver, we won't let him out before tomorrow."

"Honestly?" Dean shrugged. "I don't know." He stretched up before leaning back down to grab the remainder of his coffee. "You know if they're letting people see Amy, or should I wait 'til tonight for that?"

"I'd wait until tonight, she wanted to try and get some sleep before that little kit comes." Bess practically bounced with excitement. "Between you and me, I hope they need me over there."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Don't ever change, Bess." He gave her a salute. "Tell Garth I'll see him either tonight or if Cas wakes up."

…

Everything smelled wrong. It was sterile, clean, with a scent that reminded him of antibacterial soap. And his bed. When did his bed become so hard? 

Castiel rolled over, and the light blinded him through his closed eyelids. He lifted his arm up, groaning at the sheer heaviness of it, before draping it across his face.

His skin smelled of Hickory and Whiskey. _What the hell._

Castiel groaned as he slowly started to open his eyes behind his arm. He could hear Anna call for someone, Fitz? There was no Fitz in their pack. Castiel licked his lips, surprised at how dry and chapped they felt. "Anna?"

"Castiel!" He felt his sister squeezing his arm. "You're awake!"

"You make it sound like that was almost not a possibility." Castiel slowly started to slide his arm off his face, allowing more light into his eyes. "What's going on? Where am I?"

"Oh, Castiel." Cas finished removing his arm as Anna squeezed him tightly. He realized then that he was lying in an elevated bed and not his own. "What do you remember?"

Castiel squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to remember, before the visions of a forest flooded his mind. "I was about to shift."

"You don't remember anything from after you shifted?" Anna's voice trembled, and Castiel found himself oddly unnerved. "Do you remember going hunting?" Cas shook his head, and he heard Anna's heartbeat speed up. "I need to go grab the doctor."

"Doctor?" Castiel called out to the sound of departing footsteps. "What happened?" He opened his eyes and tried to push himself up to a sitting position. "Where am I?"

"Sioux Falls Cryptozoological Health Center." A new voice - a fresh scent - entered the room. "Or as we lovingly call it, The Cryptohospital." Castiel looked at the man who had entered, taking in his lanky features. "Glad to see you're finally awake, Castiel. Your family's been worried about you."

Castiel shook his head in confusion. "Why am I here?" He took another sniff and looked at the doctor. "Are you?"

"A Were?" The doctor smiled. "I am. Dr. Fitzgerald, but you can call me Garth." He held out his hand.

"I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I don't even know why I'm here." Castiel took Garth's hand, and gingerly shook it. "What's going on?"

"Anna mentioned that you don't remember anything post shift. That may be because you shifted back to human form while unconscious. It's been known to happen in injuries of your caliber." Garth flipped a paper over on a clipboard and took a moment to review it before looking at Castiel again. "Your sister is calling your brother, so I believe he'll be here soon. He's been worried sick since you were brought in last night."

"I've been here since last night?" Cas ran his hand down his face. "Can I sit up?"

Garth pushed a button on the side of the bed. "Of course you can. Don't blame you. Those lights are horrendous."

A knock on the door drew both of their attentions. "Garth, Dean asked that I called him when the patient was awake. Should I do that, or wait for the rest of Castiel's family arrives."

"Call him in about 30 minutes. That'll let me check our guest over here, time for his family get here, and hopefully, Dean will sleep more." The woman left, and Garth turned back to face Castiel. "Dean was worried sick about you last night."

"Who's Dean?" Something about that name stirred something in Cas like it was engraved into his being. "I should know Dean, right?"

Garth shook his head. "From his and Dr. Vaugier's notes on your charts, you were brought in unconscious, and you haven't woken up until just a few minutes ago. Unless..." Garth flipped through a few more papers. "Dean did use his magic to heal you. You may be feeling a few remnants of his spell work."

"Spell work?" Castiel tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean, spell work?"

"Dean is one of our nurses on staff. And the guy who saved your life." Garth replied, writing something down. "Almost passed himself out using all his mojo on you."

"Saved my life!?"

The doctor started to speak when Anna came back in, followed by Gabe and Meg. His older brother rushed over to him, nearly knocking over the doctor. "CASSIE!"

"Gabe?" Castiel gasped as Gabe squeezed the air out of him. "What's going on, why am I here?"

"You really don't remember?" Gabe's face fell, and Meg came over to rub his back. "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

"It seems that he only lost his memory from his time as a wolf. I don't think it would hurt if you told him what happened." Garth spoke up before looking at Castiel. "I'm going to check your vitals, then I'm going to call Dean since he wanted to be here when you woke up."

Castiel nodded before turning to his brother. "What happened, Gabe?"

"Anna said you only remember right before you were about to shift?" Castiel nodded, and Gabe continued. "We needed to hunt. I said I was going, and you insisted on coming along. Someone to watch my back."

"That sounds like something I would say." Castiel raised an eyebrow.

"We headed out into the woods nearby and caught the whiff of a deer. It had been set up for us to catch, like a trap. You took the silver buckshot that was meant for me." Gabe hung his head. "You went down like a sack of potatoes, and I thought you were gone. I went berserk and went after the Hunter who hit you, but he ran off."

"Clearly, I'm not dead."

Garth tapped him on the thigh. "That's cause you got hit in the hindquarter. The initial silver impact took you down, but it was all removed before too much got in your bloodstream."

"How?" Cas tilted his head and squinted at the doctor checking his thigh. "You're a Were. It would have hurt you."

"Would have hurt our nightshift doctor too. But! That would be where Dean enters the story." Garth winked. "I'm gonna go call him now."

Castiel waited until the doctor left. "Continue the story, please?"

"I shifted back to human and dragged you to the side of the road. I called the local Cryptid Emergency Line, and they sent an ambulance to come and get you. I ran back to the pack, told them what happened, and left Inias in charge while Me, Meg, and Anna rushed here." Gabe frowned. "It's my fault you're here."

"No, it's not." Castiel smacked his brother upside the head. "You didn't shoot me."

"But you were protecting me." Gabe rubbed at the spot Castiel hit.

"As is my job as Den Protector, assbutt." Castiel frowned and looked at Meg and Anna. "You two have been trying to tell him that, right?"

"I have," Meg spoke up. "Anna hasn't left your side."

Castiel looked at his older sister in awe. "What?"

"Well, Dean stayed until his shift was over, and they practically forced him to go home." Anna smiled. "I can still feel his magic in the room. Almost like it's watching over you."

"I..." Castiel closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's an extraordinary feeling I'm experiencing right now."

A knock on the doorframe caused the pack members to look at the door. "Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt, but I just wanted to check in."

"Dean?" Castiel wasn't sure why he was asking when he knew that the man in the doorway was the one who saved him. He could feel the magic in the air grow more robust, and what had been a faint hint of Hickory and Whiskey washed into the room and over Castiel.

"That's me." Dean nodded and walked in the room, the rest of his pack moving out of his way. "Glad to see you woke up, Cas. You were still out cold when I left this morning."

Castiel looked over Dean, studying the way his light brown hair stood up, how his freckles were dusted over his face... How purely green the eyes watching him were. Realizing he hadn't responded to Dean's statement, Castiel stumbled over what to say. _Thank you_ didn't seem to convey enough. Not with the rampant curiosity inside him.

"Well, let me tell you again how thankful we are." Anna jumped in, and Castiel had never been more grateful. She turned and winked at Castiel before addressing Dean again. "You saved our brother, and you're showing him a level of care that I don't think we've ever seen from someone outside of the pack."

Dean blushed, and Castiel was amazed by how much his freckles stood out. "Well, I figured his pack needed him, so I made sure to uh..." Dean scratched at his temple. "You know, that sounded better in my head. So, um. I'm going to uh. Yeah. I'm going to go get ready for my shift." He pointed over his shoulder and stumbled over his feet, causing Meg - of all people - to giggle. 

"Well," Gabe waited until Dean had exited the room. He wrapped his arm around Meg's shoulder and shook his head. "Is it just me, or do we have two very smitten men on our hands."

"Two very smitten men." Anna nodded in agreement. "There's a new scent in the air, one that I can't put a finger on. Well, I can. But it's better to let Castiel wallow."

"Didn't I almost just die?" Castiel asked exasperatedly.

"Dude, Cassie. The smell is coming from you." Gabe shook his head. "You smell content."

"Fuck off, Gabe." Castiel sat back against the bed, staring at the door. "I don't know what's going on."

Meg tapped Gabe's hand. "I'll go grab the doctor."

"What? Why?" Castiel watched as Meg walked out of the room.

"Because of the way you and Dean just interacted." Anna took Castiel's hand into hers and squeezed. "Dean's a witch, Castiel. And while Dr. Fitzgerald and Dr. Vaugier both assured that Dean is one of the best healing witches in the country, he almost passed out healing you. Apparently, that amount of spell work can cause some interesting side effects."

"Like...?" Castiel inquired.

"Like, maybe he tapped into his life source to heal you, instead of yours," Gabe suggested.

"Or maybe he confused you in some way..." Anna added. "Like by making a bond between the two of you."

…

Dean stood in the locker room and ran his hand down his face. He knew that Cas was gorgeous, Dean had examined him after all. But what he hadn't expected was the way that there was an instant pull from the werewolf.

And that meant he fucked up. Big time.

There was a reason Dean was reluctant to use his magic when doing extensive injuries and wounds. His mother made a point of hammering it into his head when Dean's powers manifested. Every witch capable of healing magic forms a bond with the person they heal. The bond allows the transfer of energy from a witch to their patient. With the extra power from the witch, the injury heals faster.

Something like a fever or a headache? Two fingers at the temple, push small amounts of power through.

A broken bone? Set it first, don't ever use your magic to set and heal.

Loss of blood or extensive blunt force trauma? Do everything you can outside of healing first, then use your magic.

There was a reason healing witches were becoming fewer and fewer. It was too risky. Even ones like Dean and Sam, who had the white magic passed down to them, often found ways out of being forced into medical careers. The risk was high, and the reward too low. But for Dean, and eventually Sam, they wouldn't have had it any other way, both needing to follow in their mother's footsteps.

Now, Dean stood, staring at himself in the mirror, wondering if he followed too closely to his mother's footsteps. He leaned forward on the sink and stared at his own eyes, hoping some kind of answer would reveal itself. Poor Cas couldn't even agree to the healing that Dean poured into him, being both in wolf form and unconscious.

"Dean?" The door to the locker room opened, and Madison walked in. "Sam said you came in early."

"Yeah, Cas woke up. I wanted to make sure there were no ill effects from... you know." Dean pushed back off of the sink and walked over to Madison. 

"And?" Madison crossed her arms over her chest, looking up at Dean."

"And I did what I'm not supposed to do, okay?" Dean threw his arms out in defeat. "I couldn't just let him die. They tried to trap and kill him and his brother. Because they're Weres, and they were framed for Wendigo kills."

"Dean." Madison placed a hand on his arm. "No one blames you for going above and beyond. You saved his life. He may be a little in awe just because of that. And unlike what happened with your mother, if it did happen, you're under no means necessary to pursue any bonds." She softly patted Dean's cheek. "Now, don't make me wolf out and drag your ass out to your brother."

"That's not nice, Maddie." He walked past her. "I don't witch out on you."

"You do. Every day, Dean."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Well, then how can I make it up to you?"

"It's not necessary." Madison shrugged. "But you could go convince your brother to ask me out. He's not as subtle as he thinks he is."

"I tell him that all the time." Dean shot a pair of finger guns at her before walking out onto the floor. He walked over to the nurse's desk, sat down, and pulled out the charts about their current patients. As he read over them, his gaze kept flicking up to the monitor for room six.

Cas was alone with Anna. Gabriel and Meg probably had to return to their pack. Their absence reminded him to ask Madison what Kate and Michael had said in regards to a fourth pack settling into Sioux Falls. Dean looked back down at the charts in front of him. A severe migraine in room two and a post-op check up needed in room three.

As he wrote down some notes on each chart, Anna's voice startled him. "Dean?"

"Hey, Anna." He set his pencil down and ran his hand down his face. "What can I do for you?"

"We wanted to ask before he did it, but is Cas allowed to shift?"

"He's a wolf, Anna," Dean replied, as though it were the most obvious answer in the world.

She shot a glare at him. "He is, but we didn't want to just assume. He's feeling odd, and he thinks if he shifts, he'll be okay."

"Right." A pang of guilt came over Dean. "Every room is made to be able to handle shifts." He pointed up at the monitor. "We can watch from here to make sure he goes through it okay. Is it safe to assume he keeps his mind when in wolf form?"

"We're pureblood, yes." Anna nodded. "So, you lock him in while he's shifting, and then... what?"

"We prefer to check vitals first, then he can shift, and we'll recheck vitals to make sure there wasn't any injury or stress. He can stay in there, or he can come out to the desk here while in wolf form." Dean pointed to a spot next to the desk. "When he's ready to shift back, he can go back in, we follow the same process."

"Will you come and take his vitals then?" Anna looked like she had no issues resorting to pouting if need be, and Dean let out a sigh.

"I..." He looked down at his charts and nodded. There went the idea of keeping his contact with Cas to a minimum. "Yeah, give me a minute. Need to get Dr. Vaugier to keep an eye on the monitors."

"I'm here." Madison walked down the hallway. "What's going on?"

"Cas asked to shift," Anna replied. "Dean said he has to take vitals."

Madison nodded, and Dean gave her a pleading look. She smiled at him and raised her eyebrows mischievously. "Go ahead, Dean, I'll look over the charts."

"Let's go." Dean pushed himself out of his chair and followed Anna back to room six. As they entered, his heart fell. Cas was curled up on the bed facing the wall. He had been so set on not watching Cas' monitor, Dean had neglected to notice that Cas wasn't right. "Cas?"

"Dean?" Cas sat up quickly.

"Hey, Cas." Dean gave a half-hearted smile and crossed to the medical cart in the room. "Anna tells me you want to shift?" Cas nodded enthusiastically, so Dean continued. "Cool, that's fine. Let me just take a few vitals, grab this cart, and then Anna and I will step outside, okay?"

"Thank you, Dean." Cas smiled, and Dean felt his heart swell with emotions new and old. He was so very screwed.

**Author's Note:**

> Are you into Destiel? Do you use Discord? Are you over the age of 18? Looking for a cool group of people to hang out with? Come join the writers, artists, and other amazing Destiel fans on the [Profound Bond Discord Server](https://discord.gg/profoundbond).


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